A Father's Endearment
by EmeraldOfTheOcean
Summary: A little Slice of Life take on how life for Avocato and Little Cato might go after Gary helped reunite the father and son. AU with a living Avocato. One Shot. Collab with Sukoshi13 on Deviantart


**This will be the last thing I post on the site. I know I said that about Two To Tango, but my half of the story was written before that. This story is a collab between and Sukoshi13 on Deviantart, so check him out if you have the time. This story is an AU about if Avocato wasn't killed in chapter 6 and how I might envision his interactions with the crew after he achieved his life goal. Read, review and enjoy**

It had been three days since the crew of the Galaxy 1 barely escaped Sector 11 alive. Not one member of this crew could brush off the pain from the trials they faced in such a spine-chilling suicide mission-storming into the boundaries of the evil Lord Commander, further betraying him after one's years of serving him, and going against all odds to save someone close. None of these objectives would have been carried out if it weren't for the courage, willpower and interrelation of two daring men...

Little Cato still found it hard to believe that these two men had liberated him from the Commander's reach. Considering the horrible traps set up and the manipulation that occurred, it was a miracle that these two saved him and escaped with him alive. The reuniting was insanely joyous, relieving, and bittersweet at the time, but now that a few days have passed, the young ventrexian had been filling his naïve mind with so many questions to ask. How long have these men been together? When and where did they meet? What's their current relationship status? Such questions often caught Little Cato off guard during his activity aboard the new ship.

As he shook his head to clear his mind, he faintly peeked through one of the vents, keeping his paw against his mouth and slowly eased his legs into an Olympic athlete's position, readying himself for takeoff. From outside, he heard one slow footstep after another, gradually easing by the vent, around the corner, and out of the room. In a jiffy, Little Cato took a deep breath, slowly pushed the vent cover aside, and leaped out on all fours. Trying to stay as quiet as he could, he chose to swiftly crawl over to some crates, wait until the man re-entered the room, and take off to another. With enough skill to hold himself off from fellow henchmen of Lord Commander in the past, he sprinted with pride as he made it to the crate in less than a second.

For a whole thirty seconds, the room stood still in silence. Little Cato peeked above the crate to see no-one nearby, and he turned around to see the same. He grew suspicious, when suddenly, the ventrexian's hair rose as he heard someone from behind shout, "GOTCHA!"

In a jiffy he was hurtled onto the ground with a loud _THUD!_

"Thought you could get away from me?!", Avocato expressed as he jabbed the son's ribs and playfully tickled him.

Little Cato couldn't resist against his father's playful forces, and he rolled all over the ground, bursting out into laughs. "STOP-HAHA, THAT'S ENOUGH!", he shouted with glee. As his father chuckled and slowly eased his paws off, he stood up and helped the adolescent off the floor.

"Don't you think I'm too old to be tickled?", Little Cato asked his father as he kept his arms tucked in to shield his ribs.

Avocato's laughter slowly turned into mere concern. "You should know by now…", he spoke as he placed his paw on his son's shoulder and looked him in the eys, "I'd find you…no matter where you are in the Galaxy."

"You can say that again," the son replied. As he kept the grin on his face, he recalled the chaos he and his father went through. He could never forget the moment his father saved him from the clutches of the Lord Commander, nor could he forget the time his father betrayed his own lord just to keep him alive. He could never forget the look on his own father's face as he turned his gun away from it and pointed it at the lord he once trusted. The scary thing is, Little Cato knew that Lord Commander was still out there, tracking down the Galaxy 1 down, searching for Mooncake, and placing their lives in grave danger. He knew that later down the path, there will be massive bloodshed, there will be little times of peace to cherish, and there will be no opportunity to retreat to the normal family lives ventrexians desire. Right now, this moment of hide-and-seek with the only true family member he has alive, could probably be the closest they could ever get to said common family life. Little Cato was doing a simple activity with his father in the midst of a cold, bitter storm, and he couldn't be any less happy.

Before Little Cato could express what was contemplating on his mind, he and his father's ears rose as they heard HUE speak: "You are 0 for 5, Little Cato. Clearly, you need some practice."

"Noted, HUE," the young feline said in response. He looked at Avocato and said, "I had a much easier time hiding from the Lord Commander's goons, trying to escape from that hellhole."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Buddy," the father said. "It's hard for the student to top the master," he chuckled, "but you're pretty good, not just for your age."

"Thanks, Dad."

There was another pause as Little Cato turned to sit down on the booth in the recreation room, where he and other crewmates often played cards in the middle of their journeys. As his father sat across from him, the son asked, "What do you want to do now?"

"Whatever you want," the father replied. "It's your week, I just still can't believe-"

"Hey, you two!", a familiar voice chirped.

The ventrexians turned to see Gary and Quinn entering the room.

"How's the hide and seek game going?", Gary joyfully asked. "Looks like you're missing the hiding part of the game."

"Oh, um uh... Hey Gary, Quinn," the father stuttered in response. As he caught his grin fading, he straightened himself and said, "Yeah, I got Little Cato good, baby. I almost didn't though, he's getting better."

"Maybe," said Little Cato as he straightened his back in a similar manner, "but I'm gonna have to get better if I'm gonna help you fight the Lord Commander."

"You've been a prisoner for three years, Little Cato," said Quinn with a concerned looked on her face. "Why rush into things? Enjoy being a kid, enjoy your freedom."

"Oh, I am. It's been great catching up with my dad and everyone the past few days. Thanks again for helping my dad save me."

Gary smiled and held out a few finger-guns in response: "No problem, kiddo."

"Our pleasure, Little Cato," HUE added.

Avocato's eyes began to gaze and his arms began to drop. After spending weeks playing the tough mercenary and the straight man to an otherwise insane, cookie-obsessed crew, he began to feel uncomfortably…warm. "So..Gary," he let slip off his tongue. After a brief second followed by a gulp, he asked, "how's Mooncake today?"

"Pretty good," Gary replied. "Now that you mention…I should probably go find him before that turd KVN talks his head off."

"And I should double check the coordinates to make sure we're on the right track," Quinn added. "I'll leave you and Little Cato to your business."

As the two departed from the recreation room in separate directions, Avocato heard Gary exclaim, "Call us if you need anything, you happy family!"

"Thanks, Gary," he replied. He turned around to face the window, briefly gaze upon what was in the reflection. He softly spoke, "See you later…Gary."

As he saw his father's face drop and stare into the vaccum of space outside, Little Cato wore a face of confusion. _Have I _really _been missing something, lately?, _he thought to himself. For a while, he let his eyes look around and felt his paw brush through his soft, neon mohawk, as the thought of his father with another special drove him wild. He struggled to keep his mouth shut as image after image bounced around in his head, like a bunch of loose crates inside a supply unit steering through an asteroid belt.

Before his tongue and teeth could forcefully contain any more words of "WHAT?!" or "WHEN?!" or "HOW?!", Little Cato burst out loud, "Are you—"

Before any other word could slip out, he quickly caught himself and let out a couple loud coughs to interject. As his father turned his eyes towards his son, Little Cato took a deep breath and slowly asked, "Are…are you okay, Dad?" After a brief pause, Little Cato cleared his throat, took another breath and continued: "You're acting kind of awkward, right when the others came in. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing really," the father said as he slowly got off the booth and stood up. For a brief second, he stared down the hallway a certain peer walked through, wearing the same look of worry he expressed as he stared out the window. _How could my father ever behave like this?, _Little Cato thought to himself.

Avocato turned back and held his arm out towards his son. "Come on," he spoke as his frown turned to a grin. "Let's play another game. How about we split?"

Rather than embracing such an offer, Little Cato pushed the arm aside and stood up with his eyes staring into those of his father. "Nothing really?", he expressed. "So, it is something!"

Avocato was both surprised and anxious to hear his son's response. "Come on," the young Ventrexian bargained. "You can tell me. Is it about the others?"

Despite how embarrassed he felt, the father knew he had to tell his son the truth. With his son here alive in a place that can only shortly be safe, he wanted to do everything he could to keep their bond tight. Fighting against him as a vessel on Sector 11 was already a horrifying experience, and he certainly wanted to avoid any other similar quarrel in these few tranquil moments they have together. Thinking about his son, Avocato spoke, "I'm both proud and annoyed that nothing gets past you, Little Cato."

The father withdrew, turned around and began to pace around in circles as his son stood against the wall with his arms crossed, very concerned and a bit excited to hear what his father was going to say. "Okay...the truth is...," Avocato slowly let the words come out, and as each one slipped out, his cheeks swelled a little. "I…may have feelings for someone on the ship. I wouldn't have found you without them. They're funny, loyal, strong-willed, and…since we saved you, being around them just makes me uncomfortable in a good way, ya know?"

Avocato scratched the back of his neck and let out a small chuckle. "It's just…," he said as his face reddened and his ears angled. "Just…strange. It's strange that I feel this way."

"You have a crush?", Little Cato asked, continuing to internally scream as the questions and images scattered about in his mind. "On Quinn? Oh, okay." Taking a few breaths, thinking of a way to lift his dad's spirits, he still couldn't help but feel excitement. His own father was with a significant other! "She seems kind of cool, even more of a loner than you, but ha-"

The excitement shifted to confusion as he heard his beet-colored father cover his eyes with his palm and crack, "Not Quinn, son..."

The boy's eyebrows rose and eyes widened.

"... No way..."

"Yep."

"You mean…Gary?", the son let out, trying his hardest to sustain his wild tongue. "Whoa... I, uh... wow Dad. I never knew you shot _that_ way."

There was a moment of silence. As Avocato bashfully glanced at his son, both curious and anxious for what he had to say, Little Cato felt as if his mind was going to explode. As if his head wasn't twisted and turned enough already, as if it wasn't unbelievable enough that his father actually came back to save him, as if it wasn't bizarre that he found himself playing children's games on a dingy spaceship in the middle of nowhere…now he's rewarded with a shocking family fact, shattering years' worth of imagination and belief?

"Wait, does that mean I never had a mom?!", the boy exclaimed. "Am I adopted?! Were you a sperm donor?! If so, WHO was the mom?! How did I—"

"No! No, no, no!", the father responded as he walked closer to his son and rest his arm on his shoulder. His smile quickly turned to a frown, and the redness of his face gradually diminished. "You are my biological son, and your mother died when you were very, very young."

Little Cato took his other arm to rest his paw on his aching noggin. After a few deep breaths, he looked up to his father and let him continue:

"Now you listen to me, Little Cato, we are family by blood no matter what I am and I never want you to doubt that again, do you understand?"

"I...I get ya," Little Cato replied, "but I have so many questions. Were you always gay? Even when mom was alive?" There were a few seconds of faint silence before he slowly let a certain, dreaded question rise up from deep inside his throat and outside of his throat: "Did you _love_ her?"

"That's just it, I did love your mother," said Avocato as his frown slowly lifted. "Aw, she was a wonderful woman, and it broke my heart to see her pass away, but it made me all the more grateful that she left me with our beautiful son."

Avocato withdrew and looked at the table. There was still a pack of cards left resting in its box, propped against the windowsill.

"But...getting to know Gary changed everything," the older ventrexian said. "After a while, I started to feel the same way about him the way your mother made me feel. He made me realize I think I might be... bi?"

"Well, that's cool, Dad," Little Cato spoke. "I've never seen you have a crush on anyone before. It's kind of weird but I like it."

"What's so weird about it?"

"Ya know, everything's different. For now at least, we have a life free from the Lord Commander, we have a new crew, living in a rouge Infinity Guard ship, and now... seeing you interested in anyone at all, let alone a guy..."

Avocato raised an eyebrow, to which Little Cato jumped a little and quickly clarified: "Uh—I…I have nothing against bi people, it just…it just feels like I'm meeting you for the first time all over again."

"Son," the father replied with a smirk, "I'm still the old man you know and love. I'm just discovering new elements of myself that I guess were hidden away when I joined the Lord Commander."

Avocato picked up the deck of cards and held it in front of him. He slowly took out a few cards—a queen, a king and a jack respectively—and just twiddled with them, staring at them sadly as his smirk faded away. "Now that I'm into Gary," he spoke as he let the cards slide across his thumb, "I feel so selfish for having this silly crush."

"Selfish?", the son asked. "How so?"

"For one," Avocato spoke as he held the king and queen together, "he's crazy about Quinn, to a delusional degree." He closed the box as he sat down at the booth and rested it on the table. "Second," he continued as his son joined him, "you're my son, and I just got you back after three years. And then…I suddenly start to shift my attention onto someone else? What kind of terrible father does that?!"

Little Cato's ears rose as he heard the concern in his father's voice.

"You deserve all of my attention and love," his father continued. "No one else should matter to me but you. But Gary is so wonderful."

"Dad…"

Little Cato was aware he still had the many things bouncing around in his head. He was begging to demand more answers about his father's love life, but knowing they would most likely have little alone time together before dealing with the breech, he shook his head and continued:

"I love you, and I know you're trying to be better than you already are, but you don't have to hide your feelings away to keep me happy. It'll make me happy to see you happy.

The father glanced at Little Cato in the eyes. He wore a look of tenderness, sorrow and bashfulness that the young ventrexian never recognized in his father. It was bittersweet to see him like this, and Little Cato continued: "You can split your time between me and him."

"Hell," Little Cato said with a chuckle, "if he's your new boyfriend, then I should get to know him the way you do."

Avocato laughed when he heard his son's reply. "Thanks, Little Cato," he said as he rubbed his eye, "but I don't think I should go for him. Odds are he doesn't feel the same way, and it'll just make things awkward between us. And like I said, he likes Quinn, not me."

Little Cato's smile dropped. "So, you're just gonna let Quinn win?", he asked with a stern voice as he stood back up. "I've seen how they interact. She _clearly _doesn't care about him the way you do! You're a straightforward badass who's funny and willing to change for those you love, and you fought for me for God knows how long!" He looked his father in the eyes, like a considerate student would to an overwhelmed teacher, and he spoked with the deepest voice his juvenile mouth could deliver, "If you want Gary, then you've gotta fight for him."

Avocato was somewhat amused and inspired to see his son acting this way, acting much like a leader would, but he was hesitant listen to his son's words. As much as he loved his son, he was not ready to take certain advice from him, especially that related to romance—romance with a dude he just met weeks ago.

One by one, the images of his father with a significant other in Little Cato's mind began to fade away like dust in a vacuum. As he further understood the fear and embarrassment his father shamefully possessed, the young ventrexian grew worried. Nonetheless, he wanted his father to be happy and be with that other, achieve a state of joy and warm emotion that can glimmer through the darkness of war and chaos.

"Take a chance just to say you did," Little Cato demanded. "Woo him your way, and show him that you'd be better to him than _anyone_ else in the Cosmos. You can do this, you just have to cross your fingers and take the shot. Do you plan on doing that or are you chicken?"

Avocato "You're right, son," he said. "I can't give up so easily. Gary's worth the risk and the effort, I-I'm.." he stuttered as he began to blush again. It was both awkward and amusing for Little Cato to see. "I'm gonna do something special for him, and he's gonna love it!", the older ventrexian exclaimed as he stood back up with a smile on his face, pushed against the red surfaces of his cheeks. Little Cato smiled in return as he saw the glistening determination on his father restored. _Now THIS is the man that saved my ass back there after all this time, _the adolescent thought to himself.

"HUE," Avocato spoke aloud, "can you show me how to make Gary's favorite meal?"

"If you insist, Avocato," HUE replied, "but your odds of being with Gary are slim considering his obsession with Quinn."

"If there's one thing I'm good at," the ventrexian said as he gazed at his energetic son, "it's beating the odds, HUE. Now let's start planning."

As Avocato removed his gauntlets and exited the room in direction of the mess hall, Little Cato took a step back and watched his father start to assemble a plan. The odds may not have been too likely, but all that matters was that he was trying his best, taking risks to impress someone special who might not even love back. Little Cato grabbed the box of cards he saw his father twiddle with earlier, and he too opened it, running his paws along the cards' tops. _My dad's gonna get a real date, _he thought to himself. He couldn't have been any happier than the time he stood in the Galaxy 1, having just been rescued by those two fearless warriors, his own father and the man he now laid his eyes upon.

_The End_


End file.
